Gauging Your Grief-2

GAUGING YOUR GRIEF-II—1Thessalonians 4:13—15:11

Grief Set Free—Grief Relief—Grief as a Gauge of Godliness

Need:

Grief over the loss of other brothers & sisters in Christ can be a gauge of your relationship with God.

Paul explained that Grief, for the Thessalonian Christians, was qualitatively different from that of unbelievers.

Grief is a gauge/measure of spirituality.

How is grief a gauge of spirituality?

Grief is a gauge of godliness when it...

1. CHALLENGES OTHERS(:13)

2. EMULATES RESURRECTION(:14)

3. PRODUCES IRRESISTIBILITY(:15-17)

4. ERADICATES FEAR(:18)

5—Grief is a gauge of godliness when...

It PREPARES AGAINST DARKNESS(5:1-4)

Explanation:(5:1-4)

:1—“Now as to the times & the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.”

“Times”—??????—Time either long or short. Time in general.

“Epochs/Seasons”—??????—Due measure; A measure of time, a larger or smaller portion of time. A definitely limited portion of time with the added notion of suitableness.

:2—“For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.”

“The day of the Lord”—

“Just like a thief in the night”—

:3—“While they are saying, “Peace & safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; & they shall not escape.”

“Peace”—??????—a state of national tranquillity—exemption from the rage & havoc of war; Peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord; Security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace & harmony make & keep things safe & prosperous).

“Safety”—????????—Firmness, stability; Certainty, undoubted truth; Security from enemies & dangers, safety.

“Destruction”—???????—Ruin, destroy, death.

“Suddenly”—?????????—Unexpected, sudden, unforeseen.

“Birth pangs/Travail”—????—The pain of childbirth, travail pain, birth pangs; Intolerable anguish, in reference to the dire calamities precede the advent of the Messiah.

Mat. 24:36-42—““But of that day & hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. “For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating & drinking, they were marrying & giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, & they did not understand until the flood came & took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. “Then there shall be two men in the field; one will be taken, & one will be left. “Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, & one will be left. “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”

:4—“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief;”

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness”—?WHY?

“Overtake”—???????????—To lay hold of.

“Like a Thief”—???????—An embezzler, pilferer—Denotes one who steals by stealth.

Mat. 24:42-44—“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert & would not have allowed his house to be broken into. “For this reason you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”

Argumentation:

1Pet. 2:9-10—“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”

Illustration:

Enemy’s desire is known—Secretly—Quietly/Anti-Burglar preparedness/Locks—Lights—Dead bolt—Dogs—Burglar alarms/PREPARES AGAINST DARKNESS

Application:

?Your grief PREPARE AGAINST DARKNESS ?

?How is your grief a gauge of godliness?

6—Grief is a gauge of godliness when...

It CHOOSES AGAINST DARKNESS(:4-8)

Explanation:(:4-8) Recognizes the time

:4—“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief;”

:5—“for you are all sons of light & sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;”

:6—“so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert & sober.”

“Let us not....Let us be....”—A choice is made!

“Alert”—????????—To watch; Metaph. give strict attention to, be cautious, active.

“Sober”—????—To be sober, to be calm & collected in spirit; To be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect.

:7—“For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, & those who get drunk get drunk at night.”

Unseen/Unwitnessed by others—Their own private world — Determining/Interpreting their own private reality whether true or notQ

:8—“But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith & love, & as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”

“Breastplate of faith & love”